Climbié murderer to give evidence in person

The great-aunt who murdered child abuse victim Victoria Climbié will give evidence at the inquiry into the girl's death on January 8, it has emerged.

Lead counsel to the inquiry, Neil Garnham QC, announced today that Marie Thérèse Kouao has been summoned to appear before the inquiry at its headquarters in Hannibal House in Elephant and Castle, south London, four weeks on Monday.

Kouao, a French citizen who with her boyfriend Carl Manning subjected Victoria to months of cruelty and neglect, will be the first convicted murderer to give evidence in person at a public inquiry.

The inquiry team initially planned for Kouao to give evidence at a London crown court because of security concerns. However, it was decided that no courtroom was large enough to suit their needs.

"All those concerned with security and safety within this building, together with the prison service, the local police and superintendent Ian Thomas of the Metropolitan police have inspected these premises and considered the arrangements we intend to make," said Mr Garnham.

"In light of their advice, we have decided that Kouao will give her evidence here."

Manning, who was also jailed for life for the eight-year-old's murder, will give evidence on January 10 via a video link to "interested parties". These could include Victoria's parents as well as the councils and hospitals involved in her care. A video of his evidence is expected to be broadcast to the inquiry two weeks later.

Victoria left her home in the Ivory Coast in November 1997 to live with Kouao as her parents believed she would receive a good education.

Instead she suffered months of cruelty and neglect at the hands of her great-aunt and her boyfriend until her death in February 2000.

The Home Office pathologist who examined her battered body said it was "the worst case of child abuse" he had ever seen. She had 128 separate injuries.

During the trial at the Old Bailey into the girl's murder it emerged that the girl was tied up in a black plastic bag and made to sleep in a bath for months. She was also beaten with a variety of weapons including a bicycle chain and wire coat hanger.

In a chilling confession read in court, Manning told police: "You could beat her and she would not cry at all. She could take the beatings and pain like anything."

Kouao initially told police that these injuries were caused by witchcraft. She even took the little girl to an exorcist.

The inquiry has also heard how she convinced a consultant paediatrician at the Central Middlesex hospital that Victoria's injuries were self-inflicted scratches as a result of scabies.